GAZIANTEP, Turkey — From Sanliurfa in southern Turkey, Amina Mesto follows closely the latest news from her hometown, the city of Manbij, about 50 miles to the northeast of Aleppo. Since early June, fierce clashes have flared up there between the Islamic State (IS) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) backed by the US-led coalition that has placed the city under siege.

Amina, a Kurdish woman in her mid-40s, fled her hometown two years ago following IS' invasion. She told Al-Monitor that she knows nothing about the fate of the rest of her family, including her mother and older brother and his family, who preferred to stay in Manbij. She fears they will have a hard time fleeing from IS-controlled areas to the Turkish border.

"All contacts have been cut for two months now. I tried repeatedly to call them or even their neighbors, but in vain. The internet service has been cut for two months now and I am very worried about them," she said.

Mohammad Cole and his wife, who are Turkmens, were forcibly displaced from Manbij two years ago when IS imposed its radical laws and regulations in their hometown.